Anxiety, Depression More Likely for Adults With Atopic Dermatitis

MONDAY, March 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with increased depression and anxiety, according to a study published online March 5 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Jonathan I. Silverberg, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., from Northwestern University in Chicago, and colleagues examined the correlation of AD and its severity with symptoms and diagnosis of anxiety and depression in a cross-sectional study of 2,893 adults.

The researchers found that compared with those without AD, adults with AD had higher mean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) scores (7.7 versus 5.6 and 6.0 versus 4.3, respectively); they also had higher prevalence of abnormal (≥11) HADS-A (28.6 versus 15.5 percent) and HADS-D scores (13.5 versus 9.0 percent). AD correlated with significantly higher mean HADS-A and HADS-D scores (7.7 and 6.0, respectively) in multivariable linear and logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographics; adults with AD also had increased odds of abnormal HADS-A and HADS-D (odds ratios, 2.19 and 1.50, respectively). Compared with adults without AD, those with AD had a higher prevalence of self-reported health care-diagnosed anxiety or depression in the past year (40.0 versus 17.5 percent). However, no diagnosis of anxiety or depression was reported for many adults with AD who had borderline and/or abnormal HADS-A and HADS-D scores.

“The results highlight the mental health burden and complex comorbidities of atopic dermatitis in adults,” Silverberg said in a statement. “Dermatologists should consider these aspects in their clinical decision making.”

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.